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Butterflyweed Milkweed

Asclepias tuberosa

Other common name(s):

Orange Milkweed, Butterflyweed, Butterfly Weed, Pleurisy Root, Chigger Flower, Chiggerweed

Family:

Apocynaceae (Dogbane Family)

Plant Ecoregion Distribution Map

Central Great Plains, Chihuahuan Deserts, Cross Timbers, East Central Texas Plains, Southwestern Tablelands, Texas Blackland Prairies, Western Gulf Coastal Plain
Broken Red Plains, Red Prairie
Chihuahuan Desert Grasslands
Carbonate Cross Timbers, Eastern Cross Timbers, Grand Prairie, Limestone Cut Plain, Western Cross Timbers
Bastrop Lost Pines, Floodplains and Low Terraces2, Northern Post Oak Savanna, Northern Prairie Outliers, San Antonio Prairie, Southern Post Oak Savanna
Canadian/Cimarron Breaks
Floodplains and Low Terraces1, Northern Blackland Prairie, Southern Blackland Prairie
Flatwoods, Floodplains and Low Terraces3, Pleistocene Fluvial Terraces, Red River Bottomlands, Southern Tertiary Uplands, Tertiary Uplands

Plant Characteristics

Growth Form

Herbaceous

Height

1
to
2
ft.

Spread

1
to
2
ft.

Leaf Retention

Deciduous

Lifespan

Perennial

Habitat and Care Requirements

Soil Type(s)

Sand, Loam, Clay, Limestone, Well Drained

Light Requirement

Sun

Water Requirement

Low

Native Habitat

Grassland, Woodland

Bloom and Attraction

Bloom Color

Orange

Bloom Season

Spring, Summer, Fall

Seasonal Interest

Nectar, Pollen, Larval Host

Wildlife Benefit

Butterflies, Hummingbirds, Bees

Maintenance

Be patient, it can take 4 years to attain full size. Grows in prairies and open woods throughout most of the state. Drought tolerant. Makes a nice cut flower. Treat for aphids with soapy water not pesticides. Propagation: Root cuttings, Seed.

Comments

Blooms May-September. Large, flat-topped clusters of bright-orange flowers. Stiff, lance-shaped foliage. Bottom of leaf is a lighter green then the top of the leaf. Large taproot. Fruit is a grayish green pod covered in short hairs. This species has no milky sap like other milkweeds. Larval Host: Monarch, Queen, and Grey Hairstreak butterflies. Nectar attracts butterflies, especially Black Swallowtail, Tiger Swallowtail, Variegated Fritillary.

References

1) Griffith, Bryce, Omernick & Rodgers (2007). Ecoregions of Texas. 2) https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=ASTU. 3) https://portal.torcherbaria.org/portal/taxa/index.php?taxon=Asclepias+tuberosa&formsubmit=Search+Terms. 4) http://bonap.net/TDC/Image/Map?taxonType=Species&taxonId=1395&locationType=County&mapType=Normal. 5) Wasowski and Wasowski, Native Texas Plants Landscaping Region by Region, 1991, pg. 179. 6) Miller, George O., Landscaping with Native Plants of Texas 2nd Ed., 2013, pg 52. 7) https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=30313#null

Get in Touch

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Contact a local Chapter

State Office Phone: 830.997.9272

State Office Address:
Native Plant Society of Texas
PO Box 3017
Fredericksburg, TX 78624

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